About three quarters of families have gotten their annual PTA memberships this year so far! If you haven't yet, be sure to sign up! See below for more information. 

Big thanks to everyone who has already volunteered to help with the BHES parent-child reunification drills on Friday, October 24! Last call to sign up! The school has almost enough volunteers but needs just a few more to make this training a success! (here's the signup link - details below). 

Mon, Oct 20 – No School

Thurs, Oct 23 – BHES Bingo Night (6:00-7:30pm, Whitman Cafeteria, details in flyer, below - buy bingo cards and food online today or tomorrow - nothing will be sold at the event!)

Mon, Oct 27-Thurs, Oct 30 – Scholastic Book Fair (details below)

Tues, Oct 28 – Community of Care Family Evening at Bradley Hills, 6:00-8:00pm (see below for more details) Please RSVP here

Fri, Oct 31 – BHES Halloween Parade and Class Parties (2:00-3:00pm)

Mon, Nov 3 – No School (Grading/Planning Day)

Tues, Nov 11 – BHES Open House (9:00-3:30am, details to come)

Fri, Nov 14 – November Birthday Bash (2:30-3:00pm, BHES APR)

Mon, Nov 24-Tues, Nov 25 – Early Release Days (12:55pm)

Weds, Nov 26-Fri, Nov 28 – School Closed (Thanksgiving)

SURVEY ON PTA FUND ALLOCATION

The PTA is launching a Parent and Caregiver Survey for feedback on PTA fund allocation. Please take some time to complete this survey - it won't take you more than a few minutes. Make your voice heard!

LAST CHANCE: A FEW VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED FOR BHES PARENT-CHILD REUNIFICATION DRILL (FRI, OCT 24, 1:30-3 PM) 

BHES is still looking for a few more volunteers for the upcoming PCR drill on Friday, October 24th. This volunteer opportunity is critical to ensuring the school staff feel comfortable executing the protocol involved in the event that a caregiver/student reunification needs to take place. 

Please find the sign-up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44AAA72EAAFFC34-58880732-2025. If you haven't already, please read and sign the BHES Volunteer Agreement. For more information on this topic, see the "Standard Reunification Method information" section in Ms. Kemp's Whale Watch. If you have any questions about this drill, please email Mr. Legarreta at Benjamin_Legarreta@mcpsmd.org. 

COMMUNITY OF CARE EVENT (OCT 28, 6:00-7:00PM, BHES APR & MEDIA CENTER)

Join us for pizza, connection, and conversation -- a family evening at Bradley Hills Elementary that brings caregivers, staff, and students together to explore how we can build a kind, inclusive, and caring school community.

Through short activities, discussions, and read-alouds, families will learn simple ways to support kids when they experience or witness unkind or hurtful language — and how to help children use empathy, curiosity, and confidence in real-life situations.

There will be separate sessions for students and parents/caregivers, both focused on practical, age-appropriate scenarios and positive strategies used in our classrooms (like “zones of regulation” and “speak-up” tools).

When: Tuesday, October 28. Pizza and refreshments at 6:00 PM followed by the discussion at 6:30

Where: Bradley Hills APR & Media Center

Hosted by: Bradley Hills PTA, in collaboration with MCPS staff and community volunteers 

Do I need to RSVP? Yes! Please RSVP here

SUPPORT THE PTA AND WIN A CELEBRATION FOR YOUR CHILD’S CLASS

Have you paid your PTA dues yet this year? Help your kids' class and grade win the PTA Membership Challenge!

• The first class to reach 100% participation in the PTA by Nov 7 wins a pizza party!
• The grade with the highest PTA participation by Nov 7 wins a donut party for the whole grade! 
• One of the benefits of paying our annual PTA dues is access to the A to Z directory which lets you search for your children’s classmates and friends to coordinate playdates and class parties. Access to A to Z will become limited to PTA members on 11/7. (Anyone who is signed up in A to Z but without a PTA membership will be able to receive communication from the PTA including information about events and the weekly whale but won’t be able to access the directory). 

Here are the current membership rates by grade! 

    K – 48/65 – 74%

    1^st – 41/59 – 70%

    2^nd – 66/87 – 76%

    3^rd - 47/77 – 61%

    4^th – 58/95 – 61%

    5^th – 70/97 – 72%

For the classroom race Ms. Hicks and Ms. Swinehart's classes are in the lead but Mr. Sichler’s class is catching up and it is anyone's race!

To pay your annual support fee and join the PTA:

1.    Visit https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com 

2.    Select “Membership Store” on the left. 

3.    Buy your Annual Membership and “Check out” 

Learn about the PTA on Our Website: www.BHESPTA.com 

Questions? Email: BHESPTAMembers@gmail.com. Thanks again to everyone who has already joined! We couldn't do this without you!

What is Bradley Hills Membership Toolkit (A to Z Connect)?

There are still more than 50 students who are not in A to Z Connect, and we would love to have 100% participation in order to make sure no one is missing out! This is how the PTA communicates school-wide and how room parents communicate with the families in their classrooms.

BHES has a Green School distinction, and both the school and the PTA try to avoid sending printouts home – so email and website communication is critical!

Our PTA has a listserv through our school directory database, Membership Toolkit. All registered families receive emails about PTA events, including the Weekly Whale and community announcements. Please follow the instructions below to register.

New to BHES? How to register on Membership Toolkit:

If you are new to Bradley Hills (and don’t have a Membership Toolkit account with BHES):

• Go to the https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com/ and click on Register/Login.
• Click Create Account. Enter your account information.
• The website will send you a confirmation e-mail before you can continue with the registration process.
• Confirm your e-mail address and then you can enter your family information and set your Directory & Publish preferences.
• You must complete your family information AND your directory publish preferences (under My Account) in order to view the directory. After November 7, 2025 you will be able to continue receiving PTA communications but will have to be a member of the PTA (by paying the $50 annual membership fee) to access directory information. You can use the web or download the Membership Toolkit app from the App Store or Google Play. 

Membership isn’t in your budget? Let us know! BHES PTA values membership access for all BHES families. Your membership funds are not the only way to show support. Participation and volunteering are essential to everything the PTA does! We want to make sure that all families can join the PTA, whether they can easily afford the $50 membership fee or not. If the membership fee doesn’t fit into your budget, you can still join, providing you with access to the online directory and the ability to vote during general membership meetings! Please reach out to our PTA President at bradleyhillsptaprez@gmail.com to let her know of your situation and we will help you acquire membership.

LAST CHANCE TO GET YOUR BINGO CARDS AND REFRESHMENTS FOR BHES BINGO NIGHT! (OCT 23, 6:00-7:15PM, WHITMAN CAFETERIA)

Get your lucky numbers and your PJs ready— one of our school’s favorite nights of the year is almost here—Bingo Night! This year, it's a pajama party!

• Thursday, October 23rd
•  6:00 – 7:15 pm
• Walt Whitman High School Cafeteria

The flyer below has all of the details you need on how to pre-order bingo cards, pizza, snacks, and pajama party swag, at https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com/store/20589! 

Online orders close Oct 20 — you need to pre-order online to participate! Nothing will be sold at the event.

Don’t miss the fun, prizes, and community spirit. We look forward to seeing you there!

GET READY FOR THE BHES SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR (OCT 27-30) 

The SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR starts Oct 27th! A portion of all sales goes to support the Bradley Hills Media Center and the PTA.

Here’s a quick set of answers to your most pressing book fair questions!

When can my child buy books?

• Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday with their teachers/classes (teacher sign up is HERE) Keep in mind times are subject to change at the last minute due to their teaching schedules.

• Thursday morning on their own if they have payment and a pass from their teacher

Do we need volunteers?

YES! Please sign up HERE. 

The volunteer slots are 1-hour slots. Sign up for 1 or more!

When can parents/caregivers buy books?

• Wednesday night from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

• During your child's class time - volunteer to help or just stop in

What forms of payment do you accept?

• Scholastic eWallet

• Cash

• Credit card

• Apple pay

What is an eWallet and how do I set one up?

Scholastic eWallet account is basically a book fair debit account.

• Set one up for your child HERE.

• If you set up an eWallet account last year, YOU STILL MUST LOG ON AND REACTIVATE IT. Any remaining money is still available, but does not roll over automatically.

• To purchase books, your child just needs to share their name with the cashier, or you can print out the eWallet receipt.

• Once you add money to the eWallet account you cannot be refunded. BUT any leftover eWallet funds will be converted to an e-card balance that you can use on Scholastic.com at any time or during next year’s book fair.

• Don’t forget to factor in tax when trying to determine how much to include in the eWallet account.

Shop online during 10/24-11/6

25% of every online purchase directly benefits our school.  

Do you have other questions?

Please contact the PTA Book Fair email here: bhesptabookfair@gmail.com

Please note:

The Book Fair is an opportunity for students and families to purchase books and is a Bradley Hills PTA fundraiser.

Since students are used to coming to the Media Center each week to pick out a book to borrow, it may be hard for some to understand that the book fair requires a purchase. Parents can help explain the difference and that, like going to a store with family, not everyone gets something for themselves each time.

Parents who are comfortable with their child purchasing books at the book fair might want to discuss an appropriate budget with their child and what they can buy—book prices start at $4.99 plus tax. As always, there will be some small items—pencils, pens, erasers, posters, bookmarks, etc.—that students enjoy purchasing – please speak with your child about your preference for these items. Thank you for your support!

SUPPORT THE BHES FOOD DRIVE FOR WELLER ROAD ELEMENTARY!

The Community Service Committee is holding a food drive to support our sister school, Weller Road Elementary. Weller Road is a Title I school with a food pantry onsite that serves students and their families in need. We invite all BHES families to participate by donating canned and non-perishable food items.

From October 21st to November 7th, donation bins will be placed outside the front entrance of BHES. We welcome a variety of non-perishable items, such as pasta, canned vegetables, dried beans and lentils, and other sealed dry foods. You can send donations with your children or drop them off directly in the bins.

Note – if you are donating gift cards please hand them to the front desk staff directly and they will pass them onto the PTA team collecting donations.

Let's come together as a community to help our friends at Weller Road! Your generosity can make a big difference in the lives of these students and their families. Thank you for your support!

 Consider donating the following items: 

• Shelf-stable food: Instant oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain pasta, cannedtuna, salmon, or chicken, dry or cannedbeans (low sodium), cannedvegetables (low-sodium), canned fruit or fruit cups (in juice), cooking oil & spices, natural nut butter, shelf-stable, individual milk boxes, 
• Baby/infant nutrition: Infant formula, baby foods (shelf-stable)
• Diapers
• Personal Hygiene Items: Deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap
• Laundry Detergent
• Gift Cards for goods (Giant, Safeway, Target)

MISSING SOMETHING? IT'S PROBABLY IN THE LOST & FOUND!

Has your child gone to school wearing a jacket but come home without it? Or has their water bottle mysteriously disappeared? Maybe their lunch box vanished? Check the Lost & Found! 

The Lost & Found is located in the All-Purpose Room (Cafeteria) to the left of the stage. Students or caregivers can access it any time they're at school. View photos of the numerous items waiting to be claimed here. The Lost & Found is completely full, so please retrieve anything that belongs to your child as soon as possible. 

Please contact Shannon Coffey at ssoconnell@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you! 

THE PTA IS HERE FOR YOU

The BHES PTA is committed to promoting an enriching and supportive climate where all members of the BHES community feel safe, seen, and respected. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee works to advance this goal through educational resources, community conversations, in-school programming, and collaboration with school and county staff. Our focus this year is the Speak Up Strategies to empower our community, students and adults alike, to be upstanders in the face of hate and bias.

The PTA's DEI Committee welcomes input from all members of our community about how we collectively work to prevent and respond to hate-bias incidents within our community. If you are interested in sharing feedback, or joining the DEI Committee, please contact DEI Committee Co-Chairs Nausheen Noor and Kathleen Foster at klubey@gmail.com

Principal's Weekly Newsletter
Click here to find Ms. Kemp's latest newsletter. 

Interested in volunteering? Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Jess Jay at bradleyhillsvolunteer@gmail.com 

Please visit the PTA website for information about becoming a Media Center, Recess, or Lunch volunteer and to learn about how to support one-time events!  

BHES Volunteer Expectations/Agreement: Click here 

Questions, comments, suggestions for the PTA? Contact PTA President Jen Villani at bradleyhillsptaprez@gmail.com

Have PTA news to share or Community Event Information? Contact Communications Chair Lesley Freiman at bhescommunications@gmail.com

Visit our website at www.bhespta.com

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/bradleywhalespta/

Bradley Hills Elementary School Websitehttps://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/bradleyhillses/

Bradley Hills PTA Websitehttp://www.bhespta.com

Bradley Hills Education Foundation Websitehttps://www.bradleyhillseducationfoundation.org/

BHES Membership Toolkit (for school directory & to join or donate to PTA) https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com/

Join or Donate to the PTA: Fill out the PTA membership and donation form found HERE or login to BHES membership toolkit (https://bhespta.membershiptoolkit.com), select “Membership” on the left side menu then "Join" and/or "donate"

Clip box tops: Clip and turn in box tops in the school office. Don’t forget to register at boxtops4education.com to scan and email grocery store receipts.  

Harris Teeter Rewards: Support the BHES PTA every time you shop and Harris Teeter. Register your Harris Teeter rewards card at https://www.harristeeter.com/together-in-education